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Even though the importance of corrective feedback (CF) is widely recognized, there is no agreement on the most effective type of CF for promoting self-regulation. Thus, this study adopts a sociocultural perspective on learning and employs dynamic assessment (DA) as a CF form. DA is considered a theoretically promising approach to CF as it focuses on the learning process rather than the end product. Instead of the common teacher-learner interaction, this study initiates a teacher-learner group interaction with the support of text chat. Text chat helps teachers to cater to all students in the class simultaneously through several chat groups. This longitudinal study was part of an ongoing, university-level three-month English-as-a-second-language course. The findings demonstrate that this collaborative approach facilitates self-regulation through teacher mediation and peer scaffolding, and that the text chat supports implementing DA in the classroom while its features support mediational and reciprocity moves of the DA process.

Design is not neutral but involves ethical aspects, from addressing power dynamics to enabling broader accessibility and inclusion. In industry settings, design leaders can play an essential role in promoting ethical design by, for instance, setting visions, developing and advocating values, and providing guidance for design. Through co-design workshops with ten design leaders working in Sweden, we investigated how these professionals envision the cultivation-that is, the development, promotion, and dissemination-of ethically responsible design. Our study outlines what the participants regard as the main problems that stifle ethical design and designing, and how to practically address them. The findings highlight that design leaders consider the lack of awareness about the ethical dimensions of design to be one of the main problems. Additionally, they point to various strategies for addressing the problems, such as communicating compelling reasons for prioritizing ethics, creating inclusive and welcoming spaces for collaborative problem-solving and learning about ethics, and folding ethics into current practices. This could involve, for instance, adding the dimension of ethics to 'design critique' sessions, or re-evaluating portfolio reviews to prioritize diversity in recruitment. We conclude by discussing design leaders' potential for furthering ethically responsible design, and provide a practical tool, a design brief, to support this endeavor.

De senaste åren har intresset för designers etiska ansvar ökat. Trots detta saknas kunskap om hur etisk praxis kan kultiveras i verkliga miljöer. För att utforska detta bildade vi ett team med designers på en digital designstudio. Under 10 månader samarbetade teamet och samskapade aktiviteter och material avsedda att öka medvetenheten om etik hos designers på designstudion. Vår forskning understryker vikten av att presentera etik på ett tilltalande sätt för att engagera designers och illustrerar hur vi laborerade med detta i vårt projekt. Dessutom diskuterar vi co-design som en samarbetsyta för att engagera designutövare i utforskningen och utvecklingen av etisk praktik., Recent years have seen an increased interest in designers’ ethical responsibility. However, knowledge concerning how ethical practice could be cultivated in real-life settings is still lacking. In order to explore this issue, we formed a team with practitioners at a digital design studio. During 10 months, the team co-designed activities and materials intended to sensitize design practitioners at the studio to ethics. Our research underscores the importance of presenting ethics in an appealing manner in order to engage designers, and illustrates how we explored this in our project. Moreover, we discuss co-design as a collaborative space for engaging design practitioners in the exploration and development of ethics that go beyond “tick-box exercises”.

The discussion on the dynamic assessment (DA) - a combination of assessment and instruction - and regulatory scales from implicit to explicit corrective feedback (CF) is relatively new in the CALL context. Applying the notions of Sociocultural Theory, Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and Mediation, the present study examines how a DA-based regulatory scale from implicit to explicit CF could be designed to promote language learning in the text chat environment. This was done in collaboration with teachers. Four English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers and eight ESL students participated in the study. Using the methodology of design-based research (DBR), the study was conducted mainly in three stages: exploratory stage, first intervention, and second intervention. This study drew on various data. Naturally occurring interaction data such as teachers’ oral conversation transcripts and text chat transcripts were analysed using conversation analysis, while the teachers’ interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Thus, employing DBR, the present study introduces a three-step regulatory scale that could promote learning in the text chat environment. The findings suggest that the three-step regulatory scale could be used by teachers to identify the learner’s potential and assist them in partial or complete self-regulation. The study will introduce a DA-based regulatory scale to promote language learning in the text chat environment and contribute to the knowledge of DA, ZPD and mediation in the CALL context.

This study intended to develop a framework for designing a Learning Management System for supporting thesis projects. A model named ‘Explanatory Design Theory’ was followed as a methodology to identify the component of the proposed framework. The following four steps were followed: 1.) Identification of kernel theories, 2) Analysis of kernel theories and identification of meta-requirements, 3) Formulation of design components based on meta-requirements, 4)Formulation of testable hypotheses. Developing the designing explanatory design theory was a four-step process; each step was crucial and decisive. The first step involved identifying kernel theories related to thesis supervision. These were Zone of Proximal Development, Scaffolding, and Self-regulation. Secondly, meta-requirements were determined based on kernel theories, and it was discovered that enhancing the student-supervisor interaction and supporting students’ self-regulation processes were key meta-requirements, based on which the components of FLMSTP were identified at the third step and labelled as Initiation, Planning, Implementation, and Completion. The final step was the setting of hypotheses formulated to refine kernel theories and evaluate the accuracy of meta-requirements and the usefulness of the components.

The purpose of the current study was to explore the conditions of empowerment among women entrepreneurs in the beauty salon sector in Sri Lanka by shedding light on the specific challenges faced by women when initiating and developing an enterprise. Focus group discussions were used to create a colloborative platform for businesswomen to meet and exchange experiences on being entrepreneurial women. Twelve women entrepreneurs who own beauty salons in the outskirts of the capital city of Sri Lanka participated in the workshop. Sen's capability approach and Kabeer's empowerment framework was used to interpret the findings. The women in the study face many challenges such as difficulties in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, double burden and tiresome multi-tasking. Research suggests that women's choice to become an entrepreneur enables them to achieve their practical and strategic gender needs. Nevertheless, too much focus on fulfilling practical gender needs limits the ability of women to fulfil their strategic gender needs. However, entrepreneurial agency has changed their status through improving the wellbeing of women, increasing the actual economic contribution, strengthening the economic security, through the ability to exercise the purchasing power to invest on children, sense of self-worth, value within their families and family welfare. The study will increase our understanding of women and their family ties and the challenges women face in multiple roles they play in a developing context like Sri Lanka.

Recent years have seen an increased interest in ethically responsible design of technology in society at large as well as among design practitioners. While design ethics is a well-established research area, few studies have enquired into how design practitioners understand ethics. Through semi-structured interviews we have explored practitioners’ approaches to ethics in design. Our findings show noticing, reflecting and reacting as three ways that ethical matters are approached. This ties into dynamic and participatory views on ethics, rather than viewing ethics as a set of formal frameworks and deductive reasoning practices. Practitioners need approaches that tie in to existing work practices. Our results provide practice-led suggestions and points of departure of when and how it might be suitable to infuse design ethics into design practice.

Corrective feedback (CF) has been proven to be effective in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). With the increased usage of technology in the field of education, learning a second or foreign language in a computer mediated environment is widely discussed in current literature, thus paving the way for research on computer mediated corrective feedback (CMCF). As such, CMCF, especially through tools such as text chat, has gained increasing attention from researchers. Nevertheless, the scholarly focus has often been confined to certain aspects such as peer CF or CF given by native speakers (NS) in telecollaboration projects. As teachers could provide step by step scaffolding to make learners notice their errors and correct them, teachers’ CF in text chat environment could be more useful. However, text chat has rarely been discussed as a mediating tool to provide teachers’ CF. Addressing this potential gap in research, the present study aims to explore the perspectives of university teachers and students on the potential of using text chat for teachers’ CF, while discussing the challenges they would encounter in the process. Applying the sociocultural theoretical framework, the study discusses text chat as a mediating tool and the role teachers could play in assisting learners in the zone of proximal development. The data were collected from five Sri Lankan university teachers and two groups of university students (five in each group) through individual and group interviews, respectively. An Affinity Diagram was employed to analyse the data thematically. The study suggests that teachers’ CF through text chat could play a significant role in a context where learners have high second language anxiety which could be a result of their social, cultural and historical context. Students favour CF through text chat, mostly because it may reduce their anxiety of speaking the language. The study further reveals that teachers are still using conventional means of technology though l

Ethically responsible design of technology has been under prolific discussion in recent years. Since design practitioners play a big part in shaping technology, their understanding of ethics is important. Much research has been conducted on ethics in design, but research findings are rarely used in industry. Our study addresses this gap by creating a space for conversation for design practitioners to explore the meaning of design ethics and related challenges. Our findings confirm the complexity of integrating ethics into the everyday practice of design, and suggest co-creating possible solutions as a way to start cultivating ethos in practice. Practitioners envisioned ideas for a toolbox concept, thoughts on how to integrate ethics into existing practices, and a visual moral compass. Our findings translate into a set of questions aiming to make ethical issues in practice visible, and to stimulate discussions around what designers considered to be ethical challenges.

An increasing number of migrant teachers with a foreign teaching degree enter Swedish teacher education to complement their studies to become eligible to teach in Swedish schools. Digital competence is one of the central skills required of teachers in today’s digitized information society. Within teacher education few studies examine how migrant teachers estimate their ability and skills within digital competence. Hence, in the present study, migrant teachers’ digital competence is investigated applying the framework of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge (TPACK), the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp 2.1), and the Digital Competence of Educators framework (DigCompEdu). A convergent mixed-methods research design was used. The combined datasets consisted of a web survey, focus groups, individual interviews, and reflective texts, which were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The respondents’ initial teacher education was obtained in 57 countries/regions. The findings highlight that migrant teachers’ digital competence is diverse, scoring from both very low to high in TPACK, as well as in DigComp 2.1, from a foundation proficiency level to a highly specialized one. This result implies that further development to enhance migrant teachers’ digital competence must be diversified.

Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) has carried out a curricular reform since 2000 to introduce Student Centered Learning (SCL) as well as the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). To meet the demands of this reform, UEM has introduced professional development training for teachers. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model was used as a theoretical framework to design the training and to evaluate how, if at all, professional development training has changed the pedagogical practice. This quantitative study has its focus on teachers who in a period of 3 years followed the training. 147 teachers returned a questionnaire, from which 92 who used SCL and ICT for teaching and learning purposes - were selected for this study. Results indicate that professional development has an impact on teachers' beliefs and practices. It supports the shift from traditional teacher-centered instruction to SCL. Teachers who attended the training are more likely to use ICT and SCL. They got a different perception of the impact of professional development on their day-to-day work and the lives of students. In addition, teachers who participated and used ICT believe that ICT contributes to changes in students’ learning outcomes and the quality of educational processes.

Implementation of an e-participation system in a low-income region with poor infrastructure, limited access to ICT and low awareness of civic rights and responsibilities, is challenging and requires thorough understanding of the contextual conditions and requirements. Present study provides a qualitative analysis of the implementation phase of an e-participation platform mapping the specific factors that play key roles in defining the access to and the use of the system by the citizens. Social and political context as well as the design and management of the platform are found to be the two crucial dimensions defining successful use of a platform.

This paper discusses a qualitative study which examines the complexity and potential of using Synchronous Computer Mediated Corrective Feedback (SCMCF) for adult learners in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms in Sri Lanka. Chat conversation was assumed as the medium through which the teacher provides corrective feedback to the students. Five ESL teachers were interviewed for the study. The data gathered were analysed qualitatively using an affinity diagram which is discussed under an inductive thematic analysis. Findings of the study suggest that there is potential for provision of SCMCF through chat conversations, for teachers believe that SCMCF will improve language skills of the students; moreover, this approach needs only a limited use of technology. However, it was revealed that there could be some complexities, mainly due to teachers’ existing workloads, some ethical aspects, and the low level of technology that is available in certain universities.

One of the main issues in undergraduate thesis supervision is a lack of understanding about the pedagogical assumptions underpinning the supervision process. In this paper, the concepts of the zone of proximal development and scaffolding are applied in developing a theoretical framework to understand the nature of the interactions that are expected between student, supervisor, research context and peers. Both designed-in and contingent scaffolding are applied in order to frame a personalized learning environment with a flexible structure that supports the interactions, based on individual zones of proximal development. A case study was conducted including students’ and supervisors’ views in several undergraduate degree programs within a Sri Lankan national university, and the findings were compared with the theoretical framework. The empirical data suggest that both students and supervisors tend to encounter problems if the thesis supervision process has not adequately designed to support the characteristics of constructivist learning.

Professional development directed towards migrant teachers is provided at six Swedish Universities. These teachers study 1-2 years to become eligible to teach in Swedish schools. Part of this training is the placement period, where they become familiar with the Swedish school environment while guided by a placement supervisor. In this study, we examine migrant teachers’ experiences with digital technology and media during their placement period, using the theoretical concept of “unfamiliar ways of thinking and practising”. Data in this qualitative study was collected from a total of 34 migrant teachers through five focus groups and nine individual interviews. The migrant teachers’ former teacher education was completed in twenty different countries. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. The results indicate that the placement supervisor is of great importance for the improvement of migrant teachers’ digital competence, as it is defined in the Swedish context. As a role model, the placement supervisor can be a motivator and an inspirational force for migrant teachers. Findings also show that migrant teachers express unfamiliar ways of thinking and practising concerning the curricula, pedagogical methods and in their role as teachers, which has implications for how digital technology and media isused pedagogically.

In Sweden, a growing number of students in teacher education have a migrant background. A specific group consists of those with a foreign teaching degree who wish to complement their studies to become eligible to teach in Swedish schools. Within Swedish teacher education, there is a lack of studies examining how migrant teachers perceive the Swedish educational system, how teaching and learning are understood and practised, and how these experiences can be related to migrant teachers’ previous experiences. In the present study, migrant teachers’ encounters with Swedish teacher education at four Swedish Universities were examined in relation to the notions of “unfamiliar ways of thinking and practising” to highlight ways of teaching and learning that are perceived as unfamiliar. Data in this study was drawn from a web survey completed by 228 respondents with a foreign teaching degree coming from 54 countries. Additionally, five focus groups and nine individual interviews were conducted. Furthermore, 30 reflective texts written by 15 participants were analysed. The results highlight the cultural embeddedness of Swedish teacher education and demonstrate how migrant students struggle with unfamiliar teaching and learning methods, epistemological understanding, examination practices and the roles and expectations from society or between teachers and students. To conclude, this research underscores the importance of situated reflexivity and awareness with intercultural experiences in mind, when designing teaching and learning, and supporting inclusion and equality. These findings and the way of identifying the unfamiliarity in teaching and practising may be applicable in other countries as well.

Conducting research and writing a thesis about it is regarded as a distinctive pedagogy (learning through inquiry) within higher education which brings new challenges to all parties involved. To complete a thesis, students should select a problem, make a systematic plan, implement the plan and, finally, write a report of the process and findings. Students do have a supervisor to guide and support them, but it is the student who plays the key role in the whole research process. The present study is a qualitative, explorative case study to understand the challenges related to research projects within undergraduate management degree programmes in a Sri Lankan national University. Data have been collected using interviews and focus group discussions in six-degree programmes, with around 40 participants in total. The study focuses on identifying problematic areas and creating a general picture of why students’ research projects are not progressing favourably. Six main challenges were identified: student motivation, student-supervisor relationships, skills and knowledge, students’ workload, the structure of the research project course, and resources and ICT tools. These problematic areas are complex and multidimensional. Therefore, further studies are required to truly understand the complex interrelatedness of these areas.

Swedish teacher education has been subject to criticism for not providing teachers-to-be with sufficient training in the pedagogical use of ICTs. In 2005, a nationwide initiative was launched by the Swedish Knowledge Foundation to improve this situation in teacher education. One of the projects, called LIKA (Learning, Information, Communication, Administration), brought together four institutions of higher education in Stockholm region to integrate ICTs in teacher education. This six-year project engaged approx. 600 teacher educators and 6 000 teacher students in 245 different activities. In this paper, we analyze the experiences from LIKA project that aimed at taking a novel approach to ICT implementation combining the latest technology with participatory and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. The project applied a holistic model emphasizing at one hand the importance of regarding theoretical, pedagogical, and technical competences as equally relevant parts of digital literacy, and on the other hand, the importance of including all aspects of teaching profession into the system of competence development i.e. Learning, Information, Communication and Administration. In a follow-up survey we examined whether the central ideas from LIKA project still define the competence development and organizational learning activities at departments, which are involved in teacher education, and what kind of new developments have taken place since the end of the project period in 2013. The survey responses indicate that crucial issues for the integration of digital literacy remain the same over the years: how to create and maintain a learning organization in the academic environment of higher education, and how to preserve a functioning, up-to-date notion of digital literacy. Our respondents maintain that digital literacy has increasingly become a part of everyday practices in teacher education. However, the challenges of dispersed teacher education programs involvin

Our 2016 ATEE presentation was an active presentation where arrangements of practicum from four different countries were presented, discussed and problematised. Based on the conclusions drawn in the volume “A Practicum Turn in Teacher Education” (Mattsson, Eilertsen, & Rorrison, 2011), these arrangements would be situated within current and emerging theories related to professional experience. After the presentation delegates would be invited to present their own experiences of practicum arrangements or models, through interactive activities, then situate them within the emerging theories and concepts. The introduction was based on the above edited volume and the concept of renewed interest in practice knowledge and frameworks for organizing practicum. A major contribution of the volume is a list of practicum ‘models’ that emerges and is theorised as ways of describing how practicum learning might be organised (Chapter 12). As our international collaboration has developed and our discussions have widened we remain committed to developing a deeper understanding of these practicum arrangements both within our local contexts and with a wider lens. We are aware that practicum arrangements are developed incorporating several models and consequently we are suggesting a move from a descriptive view based on ‘models’ to a process-oriented view based on ‘arrangements’. We see this as a natural evolution, as what is actually happening in different contexts is that those responsible for professional learning are creating their own arrangements to meet the needs or constraints of their context. The different arrangements of practicum were presented by members of the International Network of Practicum Research and Development, representing four countries. An arrangement that combines theory and practice in a curriculum was presented (Paul Hennissen, Netherlands), followed by emergent partnerships and technology (Philip Bonanno, Malta), then Doreen Rorrison (Australia) provid

In this article, the challenges of conducting participatory action research in cross-cultural contexts where different historical, political, social, and cultural backgrounds of the participants mark the interaction are discussed. Empirical data is drawn from a one-year educational development project including participants residing in a country in Sub Saharan Africa and in a country in Northern Europe. As participation is one of the crucial and controversial issues in conducting action research, it is scrutinised through several key incidents that took place during the project period. These will illustrate the complex dynamics of collaboration between the participating actors, such as researchers and teachers educators on one hand, and schoolteachers on the other, who came together to conduct participatory action research. In the concluding discussion, the importance and challenges of exercising participatory practices, nurturing collaboration beyond differences are further elaborated and some recommendations presented.

Game based learning (GBL) has emerged during the last decade in so-called high-income countries with good access to computers, while many low and middle-income countries are starting to explore GBL and its potential in education. For instance, the increased use of smartphones in Sri Lanka provides better opportunities to play games. Furthermore, a first GBL course at the University of Colombo was organised in 2015. In this study, an effort to raise awareness of the various possibilities of ICTs within underprivileged communities of Sri Lanka was made. A free, web-based game for learning programming was used at two different telecentres during three workshops, with three different age groups: 1) 14 students aged 10-18; 2) 19 students aged 8-16; and 3) 18 school leavers aged 15-20. Telecentres are places providing access to computers, Internet and various services. The progress of participants through the game was observed and notes were taken during the workshops, followed up by group interviews, and a survey of all participants. Our findings show that the participants found the game to be fun and of medium difficulty level. They also expressed that they need to learn English better and improve their computer skills to be able to learn more programming. Despite the limited Internet access, limited number of computers, and language barriers, most students and school leavers completed between 10 to 15 puzzles, including programming concepts of commands, conditions and events. The youngest participants (8 years old) completed at least 5 puzzles. From our results we conclude that without prior programming experience, all the participants became motivated to learn more about programming within the 1.5 hours of the workshop with this GBL approach. This indicates that the learning curve of the GBL approach to learn programming is considerably low whereas the motivation to learn through GBL is high. Furthermore, the GBL approach has good potential to raise awareness of learn

Sri Lanka is characterised by rapid economic growth combined with fast technological advancements. However, these advancements do not reach out to the entire society. The purpose of this paper is to examine the manifestations of the internal digital divide in the Sri Lankan tea estate context. With their particular history and socioeconomic structures, tea estate areas face serious challenges in bringing their whole population into the 21st century where digital literacy plays a crucial role in facilitating a full participation in the society. This study analyses the digital divide with a specific perspective on gender issues and people with disabilities. We discuss the role of education, social-economic structures, cultures and languages in the manifestations of the digital divide. We also examine the telecentre projects and their role in the effort of bridging the digital divide as they provide access to the information and communication technology (ICT) and the Internet as well as they provide training in digital literacies. We comment on the potential of open data movement underlining the crucial role of education and training in the process of citizen empowerment.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become a common feature in higher education. The idea of opening up education for a wider population has been welcomed by many. How these new learning environments correspond to the requirements of individual learning is an issue of vital importance. In this paper, we will examine the MOOC phenomenon with the theoretical lense of Habermas influenced communicative space and compare the MOOC environment with that of Swedish Study Circles. Our examination suggests that the strong democratic and collaborative tradition of study circles might provide MOOC designers with a model that can help scaffolding MOOC education in ways beneficial to individual learners.

MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses have emerged in the discourse of the present day higher education as a solution for the 21st century educational challenges. This paper discusses how realistic and appropriate the original ideas of MOOCs are in the wider, global context, particularly in the context of developing regions. Do MOOCs promote democratization of education by making it accessible to all? Or do they reinforce educational hegemony of the Western world thus constituting a further link in the history of cultural imperialism of the global North over the global South? We will argue in this paper that in order to open up education through MOOCs, local adaptations are required. The contextualization of MOOCs, particularly pedagogical and linguistic considerations, are examined and design recommendations formulated.

Research methodology is a quintessential component of science, but methods differ greatly between sciences. In computing, methods are borrowed from many fields, which causes difficulties to methodology education in computing. In our methodology courses in computing, we have observed a number of core and threshold concepts that affect students’ success. This essay describes a work in progress towards under- standing those core and threshold concepts in methodology education in computing, classified along two dimensions. We classify methodological concepts in terms of standard elements of research design in students’ projects in computing, and in terms of their centrality and difficulty. We present examples of three types of troublesome knowledge concerning methodology: the strangeness and complexity of methodological concepts, misimpressions from everyday experience, and reasonable but mistaken expectations.

I vår tidigare forskning har vi hävdat att praktik i lärarutbildningen är både underutvecklad och under- teoretiserad (Mattsson et al., 2011). Denna studie bygger på tidigare internationella samarbetsprojekt som syftar till att förstå utvecklingen av yrkeskunskap under praktik i lärarutbildningen. Begrepp som framkommer i dessa studier som kritiska omfattar "kommunikativa utrymmen "," deliberativa relationer "och" minnesvärda / meningsfulla möten ". För vidare utforskning av dessa begrepp, har vi initierat forskning om trepartssamtal mellan lärarstudenter och deras handledare under praktik. Detta paper rapporter om en studie av trepartssamtal i syfte att förstå: Hur kan det kommunikativa utrymmet omvandlas för att förbättra inlärning av yrkesutövningen? Analysen görs i ramen av Habermas teori om 'kommunikativ handling "(Habermas, 1984, 1987). I fallet med trepartssamtalen, kan vi hävda att de enskilda livsvärldar av de tre aktörer - lärarstudent, lärarutbildare och VFUlärare - möter inte bara varandra utan även systemet med praktik och lärarutbildning, som styr de kommunikativa handlingar / trepartssamtalen. Habermas antyder att det finns en deliberativ potential i den kommunikativa handlingen som leder till social integration och solidaritet. Detta ger oss en öppning för att fästa transformativa förhoppningar till trepartsamtalen som deliberativt tredje utrymme "... där potentialen för en utökad form av lärande och utveckling av ny kunskap är förstärkt" (Gutiérrez 2008, s.152). Analysen är baserad på ett antal (18) autentiska trepartsamtal som har (ljud) spelas in. Transskriberingarna har analyserats genom 'grounded' forskningsmetoder som har avslöjat kritiska fenomen / teman. Analysen visar att det inledande trepartssamtalet inrättats av lärarutbildare som representerar den institutionella organisationen och gör tolkningen av mål och struktur och process som definieras i styrdokumenten. Hon tar ledningen. Även om praktik retorik betonar att trepartssamtalen ägs av, In our previous research, we have claimed that practicum is both under-developed and under-theorized (Mattsson et al., 2011). This study builds on earlier international collaborative projects aimed at understanding the development of professional practice knowledge during the practicum in teacher education. Notions that emerge in these studies as critical include ‘communicative spaces’, ‘empowering relationships’ and ‘memorable/purposeful encounters’. For further exploration of these concepts, we have initiated research on the mentoring dialogues between student teachers and their supervisors during the practicum. This paper reports on a study of mentoring dialogues with the aim of understanding: How can the communicative space be transformed to enhance the learning of professional practice? The analysis is done in the frame of the Habermasian theory of ‘communicative action’ (Habermas, 1984, 1987). In the case of mentoring dialogues, we could argue that the individual lifeworlds of the three actors – preservice teacher, teacher educator and mentoring teacher – encounter not only each other but also the system of practicum and teacher education, which conditions the communicative actions / mentoring dialogues. Habermas suggests that there is a deliberative potential in the communicative action leading towards social integration and solidarity. This gives us an opening to attach transformative hopes to the mentoring dialogues as empowering third spaces ” … where the potential for an expanded form of learning and the development of new knowledge are heightened” (Gutiérrez 2008, p.152). The analysis is based on a number (18) authentic mentoring dialogues that have been (audio) recorded. Transcripts have been analysed through grounded research methods which have revealed critical phenomena/themes. The analysis indicates that the introductory mentoring dialogue is set up by the teacher educator who represents the institutional organisation and makes the interpretation of